Duplicating machine



April 29, 1930. R. E. SPENCE, JR 1,756,395

DUPLICATIP IG MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 7, 192'? a Sheets-Sheet 1 April 29; 1930. R. E. L. SPENCE, JR

DUPLICAT ING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. '7, 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 lw w III I I l I III: i: 1| 11 unw .1 mi I 1111:}: -lllill April .29, 1930. R. E. L( SPENCE, JR

- DUPLICATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 7, 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 ll r I I 1 l I li l Y l I l l l l I l r l l l l l Ill.

a 6 a a o F.,.. J O I RUM a%/ V, 5 2 7 /o w a O a o y i 6Z W [(2% R. E. L. SPENCE, JR 756,395

April 29, 1930. v

DUPLICATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. '7, 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 gllg wall/ g April 1930. R. E. L. sPENcE, JR

DUPLICATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 7, 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 April 1930- V R. E. SPENCE, JR 1,756,395

DUPLI CATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 7, 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet B Patented Apr. 29, 1930 ;UNITED "STATES PATEN'TIOFFI'CE ROBERT E. L. BPENCE, 3B", OF. MIAMI, FIIORDJA.

DUPLIG'ATING MACHINE Application fled October 7, 1927, Serial 1T0. 224,699. Renewed November 16, 1929.

ing machines in which provision is not only made for printing each letter with a distinct v and individual address and .salutation, but provision is also made for the addressing of an envelope to correspond therewith.

-In accordance with the present invention a machine of this class is provided in which letterswith individual and distinctive salutations, and an envelope corresponding to each letter may be printed with great rapidity. The printing of the letters and envelopes is carried on simultaneously and a single address form is used in printing both the heading of the letter and the address on the envelope. -The address forms are automatically removed from the container, moved through the machine by suitable mechanism, and passed from the machine into a receiving box or carrier in which the forms are automatically arranged in the same order in which they were originally so that they may be again used at any time without rearrangement.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the address form feeding mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Figure 3;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 7 Fig. 9 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Figure 8 as viewed from the left:

Fig 10 is a section on line '10-10 of Figure Fig. 11 is a section. on line 11-11 of Fig- -ure 6;

v 12 is a section on line 12-12 of Figure v g 13 is a section-on line 13-13 of Figure Fgg. 14'is a section on line 14-14 of Figure Fig. 15 is a section on line 15-15 of Figure 3; and

Fig. 16 is a' section on the same line but looking in the oppositejdirection.

Supported upon the shaft 10, which is rotatably mounted in upright frame members 11 and 12, is the printing drum or cylinder 13; this drum being provided with the usual type holding grooves on its outer surface and having two longitudinal slots or openings therein, the opening 14 being provided for the insertion and removal of ribbon spools l5 and 16, and the opening 17 being provided for the presentation of an address form 18 at the printing surface, this form being moved into printing position at a certain point in the rotation of the cylinder by a form holding block 19. This block 19 is supported on arms 20 which are squared and extend through radial slots 21 in the ends of the cylinders. the ends of arms 20 being provided with rollers 22 which are located in slots 23 of the frame members 11 and 12. Slots 23 are substantially elliptical in shape as clearly shown in Figures 7 and 14, and are in reality cam slots, acting upon the rollers 22 as the drum rotates to cause the printing head or block 19 to move into and to return from printing position. The grooves are so formed that as head 19 is passing the printing platen 24.- the address form 18 is in printing position but when in its uppermost position it is witfr drawn into the cylinder to such an extent that the address form 18 lies directly opposite, when the cylinder is stationary, the slot 25 in frame member 11. When in this position an address and Salutation printing form inserted through this slot by mechanism hereinafter to be described W111 pass on to head 19, being securely held in such position by the flan e 26 of the head.

T e ribbon which is indicated at 27, passes around the cylindrical surface of the drum on the outside of the type and has its ends secured to the spools 15 and 16. Each ribbon spool has an enlarged end journaled in the end of the drum, as clearly shown in Figure 8 and, projecting from each spool end, beyond the end of the drum, are a plurality of pins 28 which are in each case spaced at equal distances around the circumference of a circle having its center on the axis of the spool. These pins 28 cooperate with a tripping device 29 pivotally secured to a manually operable plunger 30 which 1s positioned in a slot in the frame member 11. The upper end of trip 29 will be, when plunger 30 is in its uppermost position, in the pathway of the uppermost pin of spool 16 as the drum rotates and, when plunger 30 has been moved downwardly, the lower end of trip 29 will lie in the pathway of the lowermost pin of spool 15. The reversal of position of trip member 29 is effected by the pin 31 and spring 32, the pin 31 camming the upper end of the trip toward the right (Figure 8) as plunger 30 is raised and the spring 32 movlng the lower end toward the left as the plunger is lowered. To hold the plunger in either of its two extreme positions a pin 33 secured thereto is adapted to enter recesses above and below a stop 34 located in the slot, the plunger being adapted to be rotated slightly so that the pin 33 may avoid the stop 34, that is, the upper part of the plunger may be rotated, it being made in two sections j ointedat 35, the upper section being rotatable and the lower section non-rotatable.

With the trip member 29 in the position shown in Figure 8 spool 16 will be rotated a slight distance at each rotation of the drum, that is a distance equal to the distance between two ins 28, the rotating being in the direction 0 the arrow (Figure 7) and effecting the gradual winding up of the ribbon \on spool 16 and the gradual unwinding of the ribbon from spool 15. The ribbon, when completely unwound from spool 15 may be rewound thereon by depressing plunger 30.

Adjustably secured to one of the end flanges of the printing drum is a cam 36 extending part way around the drum and this cam cooperates with a roller 37 mounted on one end of a lever 38 which is pivotally supported on frame member 11, and which carries at its other end the upper roller 39 of a pair of paper feed rollers. Roller 39 normally rests on the lower roller 40 and has a gear 41 whose teeth mesh with a gear 42 of the lower roller which is in turn operatively connected by a gear 43 to the platen 24, driven from the printin drum. When cam 36 engages roller 37 the eed roll 41 is lifted and paper cannot be fed into the machine by these rollers.

Simultaneously also with the downward movement of roller 37 a stop member 44 is raised to obstruct the path of any paper WhlCll may be ready to enter between rollers 39 and V 40. It will be seen therefore that so long as cam 36 engages roller 37 no printing can take place but as soon as the cam has disengaged this roller paper may be fed between the platen and printing drum. When this occurs, the point A of the printing drum will be passing the platen so that the top of the sheet will be at this point and the remainder of the sheet will be operated on by the form 18 and the type forming the body of the letter. Similar rollers 45 and 46 are provided for gripping the sheet after it has been printed and removing it from the machine.

Positioned adjacent the letter printing drum is the envelope printing mechanism, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. This mechanism includes a stationary printing head 50 curved to receive the curved address forms used by the letter printing drum, a movable printing platen 51, and suitable mechanism for feeding the envelopes between the platen and head together with ribbon feeding mechanism and means for operating the platen. Feed rollers 52 and 53 are adapted to receive envelopes 54 in succession from the container 55 and to feed them between members 50 and 51 and similar rollers are provided in rear of the printing mechanism for withdrawing the envelopes. These rollers are geared together for simultaneous movement at equal speeds as shown in Figure 5 and a shaft 56 and crown gear 57 operatively connect. the lowermost feed roller to the large gear 58 which is fast on the drive shaft 59. Gear 58 is toothed around its periphery except at one place 60, so that, if shaft 59 is continuously operated the feed rollers will have an intermittent movement, being stopped while blank space 60 passes gear 57. No feeding action takes place when the rollers are stopped and this stoppage occurs when the printing plate 51 is operating to print an envelope. A ribbon 61 passes over printing head 50 and over the address form 18 which lies on the printing head the ends of this ribbon being secured to suitable spools to the ends of which the ratchets 62 and 63 are rigidly fastened. Pawls 64 and 65 are in engagement with ratchets 62 and 63 respectively, these pawls being hinged to the ends of a U shaped member 66 pivotally supported on a block 67 slidably mounted on the frame. This block may be moved to raise the member 66 from its full line to dotted line position Figure 5) or lowered, to bring either pawl into engagement with the corresponding ratchet and to simultaneously disengage the other. A plunger 71 secured to a rocker 73 pivoted at its lower end to the frame, has its free end in position to strike the top of the member 66 at point G each time the rocker 73 engagement with itsratchet to advance the same one tooth. Springs 68 returnthe U shaped member to original position after each actuation thereof. At an intermediate point the rocker is connected by a link 74 to an arm 75 which is rigidly connected to a gear 76 which lies in the pathway of a segmental gear 77 adjustably secured to the large gear 58. During approximately one-quarter of the revolution of gear 58 segment 77 operatively engages gear 76 to swing ,lever 75 through practically 180 thereby moving rocker 73 toward the printing mechanism. In this movement the inclined upper end 78 of rocker 7 3 acts on a pin 79 which extends laterally from the uppermember 80 of a telescoping rod the lower member 81 of which is also pivotally supported upon the base. There are two of these telescoping rods connected by a cross bar. Springs 82 normally keep members 80 pressed upwardly and on the upper ends of these members are rubber suction cups 83 which are adapted to engage the lowermost envelope 54 in the container 55, the bottom or the container being open for this purpose. The interior of each of the rubber suction cups is .connected by a tube 84 to the interior of a bellows 85 which is adapted to be operated to create a suction in the cups to cause the lowermost envelope to be gripped thereby and to move with the suction cups toward the feed rollers, in the operation of the device. The bellows 85 is adapted to be operated from the drive shaft 59 through segment 77 which meshes with gear 86 in the rotation of large gear 58 just before it meshes with gear 76. The meshing of segment 77 and gear 86 causes the arm 87 which rotates with gear 86, to revolve substantially 180 and to operate the bellows 85 through the link 88. A suction is created in the suction cups 83 therefore immediately be- "fore the suctioncups are moved toward the printing platen and at the completion of the movement of the rocker 73 the gear 86 will have completed a half rotation. Further movement of gear 86 causes a downward movement of link 88 and a contracting of the bellows so that the suction in cups 83 is replaced by pressure and the envelope discharged therefrom.

When the segment 77 has disengaged the gear 7 6 springs S at the bottoms of rocker 73 and the vacuum cup carrying frame return these members to their original positions the first set of feed rollers then carry the envelope across the printing head 50 and far enough so that the edge of the envelope is gripped by the second set before the blank space 60 of gear 58 comes opposite gear 57 and stops the motion of the rollers. Segment 77 may be adjusted circumferentially of the machine to change the time at which it engages pinions 76, 86 and 128 to allow envelopes of different sizes to be rinted.

At this point e projection P of gear 58 strikes the arm A of vertically reci rocable rod R to depress the same, against t e pressure of spring I. The upper end of rod R supports one end ofthe platen 51 and when the rod is depressed the platen descends. When projection P has passed arm A the sprin acts to raise the rod R and the platen. Rod

51 is simultaneously operated by similar mechanism. The envelope is printed therefore while the feed rollers are stationary, and while still gripped by them. As platen 51 descends however the up or forward feed roller is raised, this roller eing carried by levers L which are pivotally supported on the frame and the free ends of which lie in the pathway of the upper horizontal portions of rods R. When this feed roller is raised the paper is gripped only by the rear pair of rollers and is free to bend-to conform to the curved printing platen and form. After the printing operation the rollers resume their rotation, the printed envelope removed and a fresh envelope moved into printing position. To prevent the Salutation as well as the address to appear on vthe envelope a thin strip of sheet metal is placed between the ribbon and envelope, this strip covering the salutation but not the address.

The mechanism for feeding the curved address forms is located on the left side of the printing drum (Figures 1 and 2). i The curved address forms are placed in a container 90 which has a slot 91 therein lying opposite the slot in the printing cylinder through which the curved forms are inserted. The lowermost plate of the stack of forms is supported at its sides by projecting fingers 92 of levers 93 which are pivotally hung from the sides of the container and normally drawn inwardly by springs 94. The. lower ends of these levers are turned inwardly under the container and their vertical lower portions are hinged at 95 in such manner that they may be turned to dotted line position (Figure 6) in one direction but cannot be moved in the opposite direction. Beneath the stack of address forms supported on fingers 92 a single form is supported at its ends on inclined flange 96 and the are shaped projection 97 respectively, the projection 97 extending laterally from a lever 98 pivotally hung from the end of the container and having its lower portion hinged at 99 so that it may be moved in one direction only as into the dotted line position (Fi re 6). When released by pro ection 97 this address form will fall to the bottom of the container, sliding freely down inclined flange 96, and in this position may be engaged by the end 100 into the printing drum, The

' end the upper end of a lever 103 which moves in a slot 1040f the bottom plate 102. The lever 103 has secured thereto a wedge-shaped member 103 the point of which is directed toward the printing drum and. which is adapted to contact with, when moved from its full to its dotted line position (Figure 6), levers 98 and 93 in succession.

In a movement to the right (Figure 6) pusher 100 will thrust the lowermost address form through slot 91 and into the printing drum and, when it is returned to its left hand or full line position (Figure 6) a new address form will have fallen from the bottom of the stack and will lie on the floor 102 ready to be moved by the pusher. The downward feed of a single form at each oscillation of lever 103 is accomplished by the co-operation of the wedge 104 with levers 98 and 93. It will be seen that in moving to the right, wedge 104 will simply push aside the hinged lower end of lever 98 but will act on the two levers 93 to separate them thereby permitting the stack to fall and to-be supported on flange 96 and projection 97. The springs 94 immediately draw levers 93 inwardly and fingers 92 are inserted between the first and second address forms so that the stack is again supported by these fingers while the lowermost and single address form is supported on flange 96 and the projection 97.

Upon its return movement cam 104 merely pushes aside the lower ends of levers 93 and does not again release the stack, but it strikes and swings lever 98, which releases the lowermost address form so that it may fall to the bottom of the container and into the path of the pusher 100. With each oscillation of the lever therefore a new address form is fed to the printing head 19, the printing drum remaining stationary while this feeding action takes place. The printing drum is-halted in the correct position after each revolution by a catch 105 pivotally supported upon the frame member 12 and normally spring pressed against the surface of the end of the drum. WVhen the drum has rotated the proper angular distance the upper end of lever 105 snaps into an opening or recessin the end of the drum and frictionally locks the drum in position. Lever 103 is formed in two portions which telescope together and a spring 107 normally presses the upper portion in an upward direction. As it oscillates back and forth the upper portion slides relatively to the lower portion which is pivoted to the base of the frame.

A spring 108 normally tends to keep lever 103 in its left hand position and for the purpose of oscillating the same it is connected by means of a cord 109 to a rotatable drum 110 (Figure 14) which drum is fixed on shaft fpusher plate- 111 rotatably supported on frame member 11 and provided with a bevel gear 112 which meshes with a bevel gear 113 fixed on a shaft 114. This shaft 114 is journaled in frame members 11 and 12 and has fixed on its other end a gear 115. Gear 115 is adapted to mesh with teeth of a gear 116 which is fixed on a rotatable shaft 59 journaled in the frame of the envelope printing device. This shaft 59 has upon its outer end an operating handle 59 or, if desired, it may be connected to some source of mechanical power, for instance, an electric motor. Gear 116 has teeth only on a portion of its periphery but has a suflicient number of teeth so that shafts 114, 111 and drum 110 will rotate a sufficient number of times to insure proper movement of the lever 103 from left to right in feeding an address form. After the teeth of gear 116 have operated on gear 115 and a blank space comes opposite this gear, the spring 108 will be effective to return lever 103 whereupon the shafts 111 and 114 will be also returned to original position.

Also fixed on the end of drive shaft 59 is a gear 117 which has a number of teeth thereon whose periphery is provided with teeth for about one-half the distance around, these teeth being adapted to mesh with teeth of gear 118 fixed on shaft 10. The arrangement of teeth on gears 116 and 117 is such that both can not be in mesh with the smaller driving gears at the same time, that is, in rotating in the direction of the arrows (Figures 15 and 16) gears 115 and 116 will be out of mesh while gears 117 and 118 are in mesh and vice versa. This insures that the address form or plate will be fed only while the printing drum is stationary.

In the operation of the device the printing drum and the address form feeding mechanism are alternately operated, a sheet of paper being fed between the drum and platen at each rotation thereof, to be printed, and a new address form being inserted into the drum after each rotation and while it is stationary. A new address form entering the drum contacts with the one previously inserted and which has just been used to print the heading and salutation on a letter and will move the same along the printing head 19 toward the right (Figure 3). It will move its own length or until its left hand end (Figure 3) has passed the gap between the rigid portion of printing head 19 and the yieldable portion 119 thereof, which is normally pressed outwardly by springs 120, its outward movement being limited by the shoulder 121 and the T shaped lug 122. It will lie in this position through one rotation of the drum and when the head 19 is moved outwardly in the printing operation the address form on the portion 119 will strike against the interior of the drum 1, but as the springs 120 are easily compressed the member 119 will yield so that no damage results to the form upon its upper surface. Upon the insertion of a third form into the drum the'form which lies on member 119 will be thrust laterally into the address printing machine and on to the printing head 50. \Vhen in this position the mechanism previously described will operate and an envelope printed. A fourth form thrust into the printing drumafter a third revolution thereof will cause the three forms already inserted to be moved to the right and will cause the form which was positioned on the printing head 50 after the previous printing operation to fall downwardly into the hopper comprising members 123 and 124 and through this hopper into the address plates container, and is connected by means of a link 126 to a member 127 which is rotatable with a gear 128 the teeth of which lie in the pathway of the segment 77. Once each revolution of the shaft 59 therefore, gear 128 is rotated, wall 124 reciprocated to push toward the right (Figure 5) the address form which has just fallen against it. A support 129 is slidably mounted on the retainer and recedes from the movable pusher wall 124: as the address form increases in number.

The envelope printing machine and the letter printing drum are synchronized, as previously pointed out, to act in unison so that one envelope is printed whenever a letter is printed. The address form feeding mechanism operates when both printing devices are inactive. The address forms are taken from the container 90 and passed through the machine to the container 125 without losing their proper order and this is an important advantage inasmuch as they may be quickly stored away without rearrangement and used again at any time.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the design and arrangement of parts of the invention may be widely modified, and that the invention is not limited in its scope to that embodiment which is shown and described in this application.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an opening for a separable address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening after each printing movement of the drum, said means including a form holding member which is adapted to move radially as the drum rotates, and a device for feeding a chain of address forms longitudinally through the drum, the forms being successively engaged by the movable form holding member,

2. In a machine of the class described, in

' combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an opening for a separab e address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening after each printing operation of the drum, said means including a device for feeding a chain of address forms longitudinally through said drum.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an opening for a separable address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening, from the inside of the drum, after each printing operation, including a device positioned adjacent the end of the drum and adapted to automatically operate to insert a fresh form into the drum through its end while the drum is stationary.

4. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an opening for a separable address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening from the inside of the drum after each printing operation, including a member reciprocable along a path parallel to the axis of the drum and adapted to engage an address form at each reciprocation and to push it into the drum.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an-opening for a separable, address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening from the inside of the drum after each printing operation, including a member reciprocable along a path parallel to the axis of the drum and adapted to engage an address form at each reciprocation and to push it into the drum, and a device for automatically operating said member when the' drum is stationary between printing operations.

6. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and an opening f or a separable address form, and means for replacing the address form in said opening from the inside of the drum, including a device for feeding said forms into the drum. and means for operatively connecting said feeding means and said drum to a common power shaft said means including gearing whereby the drum may be rotated while the form feeding means is inoperative and the form feeding means is operative while the drum is not rotating.

7. In combination, a revoluble printing drum having a body form and a separable address form, a reciproeable printing platen adjacent said drum, and means for sending a series of address forms through said drum and over said printing platen whereby each address form is used in two printing operations.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ROBERT E. L. SPENCE, JR. 

